Getting there is half the fun.
The rolling Iowa country side looks so beautiful this time of year. (Your can read about our trip to the greenhouses last year here.)
Mom went with me to ooh and ahhh over all the pretty choices.
So much color
Such vast greenhouses.
We only made it to two farms before my car was full, my pocketbook was empty and I needed lunch.
First we stopped by KR Greenhouses, 1505 170th St., Ionia. Kenneth and Rachel Martin and their nine children run this greenhouse, farm 160 acres and raise 300 head of fatted cattle.
The day we stopped Justin, 12, on the left and Vernon, 15, were taking payments and helping us out to the car.
The Martins started as a wholesale greenhouse, but decided running a retail greenhouse was "easier", according to Kenneth. "It's easier than loading everything up to take to auction," he says.
The day we went skies were gray
and the radio kept predicting snow.
But it smelled and felt like spring in the greenhouse.
"When we started this, it was a winter thing. But now it's kind of taken over," Kenneth says. The greenhouses are open Monday through Friday 8 to 8 and Saturday 8-5, closed on Sundays through June 15th.
KR Greenhouses sell strawberries on the farm in June and reopen the greenhouses August to October to sell mums, grasses and pumpkins. Though last year Kenneth says, "We'll probably try pumpkins again. Last year, they didn't do for us."
A short hop down the road and around the corner we found
Hoover's Greenhouse 1680 Cheyenne Ave., Ionia.
More stunners
And lots of garden gig-gaws.
I think Hoover's baskets are the biggest and best. Elizabeth Hoover who owns and runs the greenhouse for the past 16 years also makes sure they have special plants that I find are hard to find other places.
I'm especially partial to the Prince Tut, seen here in my pots from last year. I've only found these at Hoovers.
The flowers and varieties are just as stunning here.
So many choices! Hoover's, on fact all of the greenhouses in Chickasaw County run on the same M-F, 8-8; Saturday 8-5 and closed Sunday schedule until mid-June. Hoovers is also open in the fall starting Aug. 15th. selling mums, pumpkins and other fall plants.
I'm trying out a new container pot "recipe". When it's had a few weeks of warm weather to fill out a little, I'll show it to you and you can help me decide how we like it.
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You don't want to miss out on the show!
The daffodils are mostly gone this week, but I had to share these pictures from last week in case you missed them. They don't give a hoot if snow is in the forecast!
Don't make the same mistake! Go see the crab apples.
May your walk this week be carpeted with crab apple petals!
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